just booked my first SOLO trip. any words of wisdom from other solo travelers?

[disney world dreamer]

i'm 28yrs old and i'm excited but nervous as i've never traveled anywhere solo.
so this will be my first airport experience alone, my first DME experience alone, my first time checking into a disney hotel myself and finding my room on my own, my first time going on the disney buses to the parks alone, my first time being in the parks alone and being in the lines alone....

and i'm doing all of this while being visually impaired!

i'm sure there's not many solo visually impaired travelers so i don't expect many responses about that specifically but i'm just looking for tips and advice from people that have gone solo.

 

[Carolyn Louise]

You have to plan all the logistics yourself but at least you don't have to work around anyone else's schedule! Like with going to the airport--I like to get there extra early so I don't stress about missing a flight, which once scored me an upgrade to first class! Just plan it however works for you. Even if you're not much of a planner, I would advise you to know how you're going to get from point a to point b. Luckily Disney makes that easy by shipping you nearly everywhere on their own transportation. Just ask directions if you get lost in the airport or the parks or anywhere else. At the hotel, you could ask if one of the CMs could help you carry your bags to your room so that you don't have to search for it on your own.

I'm also going on my first solo trip to Disney soon. I plan on taking pictures everywhere to keep myself occupied and eating/drinking lots of delicious things. For the ride lines I will have my phone to read books and update my friends on social media about the amazing time I'm having.

 

[DisneyFan2013]

i'm 28yrs old and i'm excited but nervous as i've never traveled anywhere solo. so this will be my first airport experience alone, my first DME experience alone, my first time checking into a disney hotel myself and finding my room on my own, my first time going on the disney buses to the parks alone, my first time being in the parks alone and being in the lines alone....

I took my first solo trip in September and it was my first time doing all of those things alone also, but everything went smoothly. Have fun!

 

[SarahSummer]

I just booked my first solo trip for 3 days January 25th. I'm really excited about it. It's very last minute. I usually book my trips 6 months in advance so this is a little crazy for me. I'm online now deciding what to do. I want to do a special tour, and just do a lot of relaxing and wandering the parks at a slow pace.

 

[Amanda999]

Wonderful! If you do want some visual-challenge tips, post on the disAbilities area of this Disboards forum - they are a helpful crew too! (DS is disabled cognitively, so I don't have tips for you but do know there's no place like Disney for at least trying to do what they can to make everyone's vacation work out.)

Only tip I have is consider paying the extra for a 'preferred' room. Just much easier to walk to the food court, pool and bus - with or without vision challenges. I often get lost at resorts I've been to multiple times - the paths at some resorts wind around and look the same.

Have a great trip! Doing my first solo next week!

 

[MaybeMaybeline]

I just did 4 days solo the week before Christmas. I had a great time. The whole doing what you want when you want to bit was great and mainly consisted of guiltlessly eating copious desserts. I did find the crowd dynamics interesting. I thought as a solo traveler, I'd breeze easily in and out and about between the generally larger groups. And to an extent I did. However, I also felt like an invisible person. Everyone assumed I belonged to a different group and I constantly ended up mixed up in the middle of other people's parties, being passed in queues, etc. The lack of ability to fill in all the available space was a real disadvantage. Any of the attractions with a movie or pre-show area that then empties in to a queue created this problem for me, the worst probably being Haunted Mansion. With the exception of the Fantasmic crowd, that was the worst pushing and shoving I experienced on the trip. Granted, Christmas is an exceptionally busy time and this may have factored in.

 

[kwdw]

Take a minute at the desk when you check into your hotel to really understand where you are and how to get to your room. Sometimes it can seem like the check in person is rushing you, but get yourself oriented before you leave the desk. I'm not visually impaired, but some of the resort layouts have confused me at first. As long as you find your building, the rest is easy.... Even if you have to walk all the way around it to find you room! So, don't let them rush you. I think they presume a lot of solo travelers are familiar with everything and don't need much assistance.

 

[disney world dreamer]

Take a minute at the desk when you check into your hotel to really understand where you are and how to get to your room. Sometimes it can seem like the check in person is rushing you, but get yourself oriented before you leave the desk. I'm not visually impaired, but some of the resort layouts have confused me at first. As long as you find your building, the rest is easy.... Even if you have to walk all the way around it to find you room! So, don't let them rush you. I think they presume a lot of solo travelers are familiar with everything and don't need much assistance.

thanks for the advice although i've never found CM's at check in to rush.
in fact sometimes especially lately we've found that they want to explain a little too well where your room is.
i'm staying at pop century. i chose it because i'm the most familiar with it and its a fairly simple layout.
i will be sure to not leave the check in desk until i'm sure i know where i'm going though.

 

[goofyintoronto]

thanks for the advice although i've never found CM's at check in to rush.
in fact sometimes especially lately we've found that they want to explain a little too well where your room is.
i'm staying at pop century. i chose it because i'm the most familiar with it and its a fairly simple layout.
i will be sure to not leave the check in desk until i'm sure i know where i'm going though.

Like yourself, i would also book pop on a solo trip because im very familiar with it too. I would try to get a preferred room so that youre closer to the main building. I wouldnt be comfortable with having a 80 or 90's room.

 

[KNovacovschi]

It sounds like this month is a first for a lot of us going solo, myself included. I am booked at POP Jan 26-30 for my first solo trip. Like you I've have never travelled let alone been at an airport on my own and am nervous but at the same time excited for this experience. My DH thinks that I'm going to have a nervous break down in the middle of a park one day when I realize I don't have anyone to talk to, he's so cute, lol. I'm looking forward to doing all the things I normally want to do but can't because my DH or DD doesn't want to do it.

I hope you have a great trip!!! In fact I think you will.

 

[captaindavidhook]

Howdy everyone! I'm also going solo in February and staying at the Pop's as well. This is my first solo and believe me I was scared at first booking everything but now I am looking forward to it. I think once we all get to the parks and check in, our nerves will settle down and we will all realize were finally Home at Disney

 

[Mr Mannn]

Solo trips are a blast. You will have fun. All the checking in and stuff will go far easier than you expect.

Don't sweat it.

I have gone solo several times. It is relaxing and you do not need to plan as much. Eat when you want, where you want. Like a ride? Get back on right away, no need to be tied to a schedule.
--and you can skip all the rides you hate! I will never go on "Its a Small World" again...unless I'm with family.

As for my solo tip? Eat well, snack often.

 

[dmlovullo]

A solo trip sounds kind of fun! Do you solo trippers have husbands/wives/families?

 

[KNovacovschi]

A solo trip sounds kind of fun! Do you solo trippers have husbands/wives/families?

I have a husband and 17 year old daughter. Daughter is mad but we have a mother/daughter trip in September and my husband just thinks I will have a nervous breakdown in the middle of a park when I realize I don't have anyone to talk to, lol. He obviously doesn't know me so well, lol.

 

[CinderALLIE]

I've been on 2 solo trips. 1 to Anaheim and 1 to Tokyo. Mine isn't by choice, but because no one will travel with me. I find people in lines would talk to me in Anaheim, tokyo was lonely but I had my Disney. Anaheim was handy too as I did the ABD tour so met great group of people there.

As others have said it is fun doing what you want when you want it and I find people to be friendly in Anaheim. Hopefully WDW will be same as will prob have few solo days there when i go later this year when visiting friends as they may be working while I hit parks.

Have a great trip and enjoy doing what you want

 

[DisneyFan2013]

A solo trip sounds kind of fun! Do you solo trippers have husbands/wives/families?

I'm not married and I don't have kids, but I've had relatives come with me on a few prior Disney trips. My solo trip was more fun because the relatives got on my nerves. One of these days, I'd like to take a trip with someone I can get along with, but I'll go solo until then.

 

[Carolyn Louise]

A solo trip sounds kind of fun! Do you solo trippers have husbands/wives/families?

No husband/kids here. The friend I went with last year can't afford to go this year, but I'm celebrating a milestone so I just have to go back by myself. If I like how solo Disney goes I might make this an annual tradition.

 

[Tara8595]

A solo trip sounds kind of fun! Do you solo trippers have husbands/wives/families?

I have a wife and 7 year old son. But they don't always want to go with me. My son is Disney'ed out at 7. I guess that's saying something. Usually I can find a friend to travel with me, or my Mom will go, because she is a bigger Disney Freak than me. I've not gotten to go 3 or 4 times asking everyone I can think of and this time, I'm going anyway. First solo trip end of Jan.